According to a report by Driving Vision News, automakers must equip all new vehicles sold in Japan with automatic headlamps, making it likely the first country in the world with such a mandate. This comes in response to cases of elderly pedestrians and cyclists being hit in traffic at dusk because drivers had not switched on their headlamps.
The move will see headlamps on new cars come with an automatic on function beginning from April 1, 2020, while models introduced before that date, will still be allowed to be sold without automatic lights before October 2021. Moving forward, buses with more than 11 seats and trucks heavier than 3.5 tonnes will need to meet the mandate from April 2021, and all trucks and buses from October 2023.
The feature will be an extension to the current types of automatic headlamps in cars, in that they will come on automatically when the ambient light level is at or below a certain limit, regardless if the driver had switched them on or not.
The mandate meets UN Regulation 48, which states the headlamps must switch on within two seconds when the ambient light level decreases to less than 1,000 lux – a level comparable to that of 15 minutes before sunset on a clear day. On the other hand, when the ambient light exceeds 7,000 lux, the headlamps will turn themselves off automatically within five to 300 seconds.
Drivers in Japan will need to adapt to the new ruling; local custom dictates it is polite to turn off the headlamps and only use position lights while waiting at traffic lights. However, there are instances when drivers forget to switch the headlamps back on once the traffic light goes green, and people generally believe they can still have good visibility even when it gets dark out.
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Don’t need to look far, a lot of drivers here do not switch on their lights at night – so this feature is a God send for those idiots who are too dumb to switch on their lights
This is the BIGGEST DIFFERENCE between German car manufacturers and the Japanese – HOW AUTOMATION FUNCTIONS!
Somehow, the Japanese always believe that AUTOMATION of everything is the way to go and the future. This is completely WRONG. WRONG WRONG WRONG.
The one big difference is that German cars allow for more control, i.e. there is a flexibility for automatic headlamps, but this feature can be manually turned off if necessary by the driver. Japanese automation have zero (0) manual intervention and the headlamps will come on automatically whether you like it or not.
Here is why it is WRONG:
1) When you have KIDS that are around 80cm tall, and they are standing in front of the car in your car porch and staring at your car – then you disable the car alarm (if you are not in the car yet) or if you startup the car, the headlights automatically lights up. Imagine HEADLIGHTS STRAIGHT INTO THE KIDS EYES – THIS IS ENOUGH TO BLIND THE KID !!! It is HORRIBLE.
2) Automatic headlamps – as a result of that, you will regularly forget to turn on the headlamps at night because you can see very clearly in front. However, the REAR LIGHTS ARE NOT AUTOMATIC, and as such, your car is running only headlight. This is also WRONG, as the car following behind you may not see your car !!!! So, automatic front headlight will result in more accidents from the back.
These are 2 MAJOR ISSUES when there is automatic headlamps. But the main thing is that the JAPANESE CAR MANUFACTURERS HAVE REALLY BAD LOGIC AT THESE AUTOMATED THINGS.
And going forward, where more and more things are going to be automated, the Japanese cars are going to get worst. That’s why I’ve decided not to but Japanese cars anymore.
Huh? Tail lights on when auto headlight on though. And if you teach ur kid stand in front of car when engine running, you win liao lo
You’re gonna have a great time when you discover that Mercedes also doesn’t allow you override the automatic lights.
Good idea..Should be made the same here.. So many idiots never turn on their headlights at night.. Especially at dusk where it is worse
In Kampung, 90% of all motorbikes don’t have a working headlight all all…
I think this should be also mandated in Malaysia. I just saw too much drivers so kiasu or what to turn on their headlights even when the environment is not that well lit, or even in the parking space to let pedestrian know there’s car approaching.
Nah those case all car should have drl so will be noticeable even if driver don’t want
wake up NIPPON!
auto headlight is same useless like auto wiper!!!
autonomous emergency braking(AEB) should be mandatory instead!
Not sure how increased visibility is an useless function. Can you please explain?
They should make it rain-sensing as well. From what I noticed only conti cars have rain-sensing auto headlights. And also Honda. Many ppl still don’t turn on their lights even in heavy rain. My Forester’s headlights does not turn on automatically in the rain, only when it’s dark….
what happened to AHO always headlight on~